Ensnared by Rita Stradling

Ensnared

By Rita Stradling

380 pages

Published by Rita Stradling

Plot: Alainn’s father is not a bad man. He’s a genius and an inventor. When he’s hired to create the robot Rose, Alainn knows taking the money is a mistake. 

Rose acts like a human. She looks exactly like Alainn. But, something in her comes out wrong.

To save her father from a five year prison sentence, Alainn takes Rose’s place. She says goodbye to the sun and goes to live in a tower no human is allowed to enter. She becomes the prisoner of a man no human is allowed to see. 

Believing that a life of servitude lies ahead, Alainn finds a very different fate awaits her in the company of the strange, scarred recluse. (2018, Goodreads.com)

Review:  In this futuristic sci-fi retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Alainn Murphy is a young adult daughter tying to keep her genius/scientist father out of prison.  He needs more time to finish his very human AI robot that Billionaire/recluse, Lorccan purchased from him.  In doing so, Alainn secretly takes the place of the robot in order to give her father more time and keep him from going to jail.  Strangely enough, Lorccan doesn't realize that Alainn is not human because the only humans he'd ever been around were his parents.  They are both dead and he is alone in his super-techy building/tower because of his fear of germs.  He is deathly afraid of 'contamination' and has never left his tower because of this.  His face is also scarred and is uncomfortable in anyone seeing his face.  You find out why later in the story.

Alainn plays the part of AI robot well enough, and as she spends more time with Lor, feelings start to develop.  It was a little quick for me considering she only spent a few weeks with him.  Plus, the screaming sounds she hears at night through the vents should have freaked her out more.  Just saying.  Plus, she sleeps with him knowing he thinks she's a robot.  And he thinks she is a robot during this time too!  Also, she's not held prisoner by Lor, but by the AI computer that controls his techy-tower.  There were also robot monkeys that came out of nowhere.  Robot. Monkeys.  I'm just going to leave it at that.

There are a lot of details as to what is going on inside and outside the tower.  Let's just say it's all very strange yet pertinent to the climax and ending of the story.  Definitely a unique and creative twist to the classic tale.  

I originally though this was YA, but Alainn is already a working adult and so it's classified as New Adult in Goodreads.  Since there are mature scenes in this book, I would only recommend for 18 and up. 

*Received a DRC for an honest review.

Rating: 3.5 Hearts!

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